Cowbell Corner

Bulldog Roundup: Coaching staff changes underway as bowl prep begins

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Mississippi State Athletics
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby on field against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby on field against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State football got a welcome surprise with an invitation to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 2.

However, as the Bulldogs quickly shift gears to prepare for Wake Forest, some of the offseason components are still in full swing. For example, coaching staff changes are still being made.

Wide receivers’ coach Chad Bumphis was reportedly dismissed from the program and Mississippi-native Kevie Thompson has reportedly been hired to be the team’s next defensive backs coach.

It should be noted none of these changes have been officially announced by the school. The only coaching change that’s been announced is Zach Arnett as defensive coordinator.

Thompson was most recently a defense quality control specialist at Oklahoma State, who fired its longtime coach Mike Gundy earlier this year. North Texas coach Eric Morris was hired to replace Gundy and Thompson, apparently, won’t be retained in Stillwater.

Thompson is originally from Smith County, Mississippi. He started his collegiate playing career at Jones County Community College and then transferred to Southern Miss.

More changes are expected to come as the Bulldogs prepare to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Moving on from Bumphis was somewhat surprising considering his position group has been the best part about Mississippi State the last two seasons.

In 2024, the wide receivers included Mario Craver, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Jordan Mosley. This season, it included Brenen Thompson, Anthony Evans III, Mosley, and Ayden Williams among others.

Football coaches usually have a reason for their decisions, especially when it comes to their coaching staffs. So, Lebby will definitely be asked about the reason for dismissing Bumphis at his next media availability.

“We're going to be evaluating every single bit of it,” Lebby said after the loss in the Egg Bowl. “We've got to continue to make sure we're making every single roster move that we need to continue to build the depth that we need so that we can sustain instead of just having good moments. I think that's a critical piece of it.

“We're going to be evaluating every single piece of it. I think I said roster, but all of them, top to bottom. And that's the reality of, man, when you sit here and you finish, and you don't finish the way you want to, at the end of the day, it is. It's my job to make sure we're putting our guys in position. And that's the evaluation of every single bit of it.”

Yesterday’s Results

  • No games played.

Today’s Schedule

  • No games scheduled.

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I don't think they necessarily do nearly as much haunting as people think. If you believe in the Bible, pretty much part of the deal that goes with it is ghosts.
Mike Leach

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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